"Hey, loser boy! Where are you running off to? Your mommy?" Someone yelled, making crying imitations while everyone laughed. Someone tripped him as he walked.
"Why are you so skinny, peasant-boy? Are you too poor to have anything to eat?" One of the few insults the few insults the headmaster allowed...for humiliation of a particular child.
"Where's your house? Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. You don't have any!"
"Here--have a snack!" Someone said, as they threw a moldy tuna sandwich towards the boy. The boy picked it up and stalked towards the garbage can, threw it out, wiped himself off, and kept walking towards the exit until a gang of bullies stood before him.
"Well, well, well, look who the garbage dragged in. If it isn't Nico di Angelo, the boy hated by his family. And isn't it so cute! He doesn't even know why they do! Well, let me tell you: they knew you weren't a man, and sent you here, to this boarding school where you'll never be liked. Stop hoping for love, but if I were you, I would hope that your family would meet a real man, like me. Why don't you bring them over and introduce them to me? Oh wait, sorry, they can't come. They won't listen to you, even with the bait of a man like me." That did it. The boy snapped.
"Listen, Rufus. You can insult me, hurt me all you want, but you will not insult my family."
"Ha! Did you really think you could threaten me? Ha!"
"You know what? I'll prove it to you. Saturday. At the park. Let's see who comes out as victor."
"Okay, then, if you think you're so strong. Oh, I'm so scared!" With that last remark, Rufus left the school. Little did he know that Nico was saying, "Good luck, you'll need it to survive."
